Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-10-29
LADY PINKERToN's JEWELS.


Twas swinging comfortably on the hind legs O,
x ny .halr one forenoon In my room at Scotland
iaIi' "hen a telegram which had Just arrived was
put Into my hands, with an intimation from tbs
ehiei tnat was 10 stake up the case"
Lazy Pinkerton, who arrived here this morning
nun LONDON, has had her jewels stolen on the
Jouney- Very valuable. No clue as yet Send
uo"n competent man at oLce TO assist local police
-ALSEENoS WADE, Adam Castle, Darnley. North.
umberland-
so ran the message. IL did not AFFORD much in.
ormauon, and IL did not seem as II there were
very much chance OF recovering the stolen prop
erty. However, IL was perhaps too soon TO Judge
of tnat Photographed 70 Sir Algernon Wade who,
Is un ierstood, was Lady Pnkerton's host for the
present, asking that description OF the missing
trlnkets should be sent at once and / arranged
mat the description should be printed and circu-
ated among the pawnbrokers OF the metropolis
and the other large towns Of the country without
ueiay These Necessary matters having been at
tended TO set out for Kings Cross. and was soon
on my way TO the north.
IL was late when arrived az my destination,
out began at once 10 make some inquiries.
first OF all saw Lady PinkertOn herself Her
story was very soon told. The set OF diamonds
winch had been stolen consisted OF a necklace,
pendant. tiara, and earrings The stones were
very line Ones-wOrth she had been told at least
said, TO travel down from London by night Her
husband being In scotland, she was attended only
by her maid, who Travelled in the compartment "a
second-class Dne) next 70 that In which Lady
Pinkerton herself performed the journey. Before
leaving town she had gwen the jewel-case TO her
maid, reminding her she did 80 OF the value OF
the gems which were entrusted 10 her, and
charging her not TO allow the box out Of her
sight for an Instant. According 10 the maids ac-
count she never had allowed the case to be out OF
her sight, yet. as matter OF fact, when poor
Alice Wright-that was the maids nlIne-came 10
open the jewel-case 1t was empty. one or two
commonplace ornaments OF little value In a
drawer in the lower part OF the case had been
overlooked oy the thieves; but the briliants were
gone.
could not help thinking that things looked
rather black Tor Alice WrSnt, anu naturally
asked how long she had been In the family. and
what Kind Of character she had brought from her
last situation
replied Lady PinkertOn, "but she came TO me with
an excellent character, and have every cOEt-
denee in her. she may nave eohtrlodisd 10 the
loss OF the jewels by her careiesSneSs, out Will
not believe Tor an instant that she Is guilty OF
helping 20 abstract them"
This speech pleased me and rather surprised
me. IL was more generous than mad expected
from Lady PinSertOn, who had struck me as being
a cold and seIi-possessed woman OF the world
and / could not understand how the diamonds
could have been stolen without the maids con-
nivanee l leit Lady PinkertGn,S sittlng-room
1 Iound her a quiet, understanding, and really
ladynke young woman. There were traces OF
tears on her cheeks. and she trambled slightly,
but that was only natural. Ihad been long enough
In the police force to know that no presumption
either Of guilt or innocence can be inferred from
s.Now, I'm going 20 ask you a few questions
said. as the girl seated herself opposite me, sand
you'll answer them or not, just as you think Mt.
IL would be no Kindness 70 conceal from you that
certain suspicion attaches TO you in connection
with this afair and therefore t is nv duty 10 eau
IN "a II hest
plan will be 10 answer frankly"
The girl merely bowed heT head by way Of reply,
and proceeded 10 put my 1rst question.
.You brought Lady Pinkerton's jewel-case with
you from LOndon?"
ssI did"
aThe whole way?"
''The whole way"
"wnen you got into the railway carriage, where
ION the seat OF the carriage, close 10 me. was
leaning my elbow upon IL nearly all the way"
'llow many people were there in the carriage?'
a good many al rrst-seyen, think when we
started-but most OF them left the train at Peter
borough and the place we stopped at next after
'when you got TO York, how many were In the
compartment besides yOurselr?"
"Three-an elderly man and his wife, and one
young gentleman"
And after York;
"Ihe old gentleman and his wife got out at
York."
'And the young gentleman"
.'He was going 10 Edinburgh, he said"
$50 you and he Travelled alone from York TO New
aYes; that was not my fault
certainly not BY the way, what did you do
Il never got out at York." answered the girl
rather sharply.
"Never got Out?r echoed.
Il never lett the carriage. and might almost
say never had my hand or my elbow on the box
from the time we left London I'LL we got TO New
castle. Al Newcastle Sir Algernon's carriage
IieiG considerably nonplussed, but concealed my
thoughts, and put NY next question with an easy
"As the young gentleman and you were left
alone toy her, l suppose he performed various
"he got me cup OF coffee at York." answered
the girl readily.
DO you know his manner"
.Or his ouslnessg"
"No he was quite a stranger to me-"
"lOu talked together good deal?"
.'les, a good deal"
"An1 you told him who you were and who was
In the next COMPARTMENT
"No, indeed
"Did you say or hint that valuables were en-
trusted 20 your"
..Neyer; / am certain OF It,"
EATER you had the coffee did you fall asleep?"
after we LETT YORK remember closing my eyes
hut did not fall asleep. And had my elbow on
"Iou dozed. then, or at least rested with your
eyes Shut Am not blaming you, II very nat
ural on a long night-Journey-tiH you got 10 New
..No; TIL we got to Darlington
''Did you feel very heavy and sleepy then?-
Not more so than usual after a night Journey
zone more question This young man-woud
you know him AGAIN. What was NJ 1kesp
Tai and lair, with slight whiskers and mus
tache- lie wore a dark-gray Overcoat. / should
know him again In a moment"
Hare my examination ended. Already I had
formed a theory on The subject. Alice Wright
fdncied, Was innocent Her quiet. composed man
Hrr lad impressed me in spite OF myself. NV pc
lief w.sS that the polite young gentleman was a
professional thief that he hal followed Lady PIN
LertOa IRON her house In London, that he had
yueSsed AZ tie nature Of the receptacle which the
maid was guarding 20 JealOusly that the coffee he
had brought her was drug ged so that Instead OF
beng 10 a haIf d1Ze she mad been in a deep sleep
between YORK and DarIinGtOh), and mat the Jewell
cas- lad been opel e1 win pick-lock, robbed and
C!'5ej agais while sine was sleep n.y.
Next mOrtiHg Lord f1rkertOn arrived AZ the
este. and j suggested that 4 reward should be
offered Tor the " Oyery Of the diamonds or for in
formation To M surprise the viscount seemed
unwilling 70 oyer substantial reward, argued
thai llrze rewards Only tempted thieves 10 com
INIT fresh rJ5berie-. and ended by positively refls-
Ing 20 offer larger than nifty pound, for the
r-eOveTy OF the jewels. concluded that his lord
ship was inclined 10 b. s;ingy, and afterward
learned that he was. In fact, notorious miser In
his younger day he had been very extrayayaut
but accuJ two years after his marriage he had
come into possession OF Large fortune ON the
Death OF relative, and the effect OF his good luck
was that he developed, very much 10 Lady Pinker-
tons disgust, strong misery tendencies.
My next care was 10 make a rOugh drawing OF
the MISSING jewels from Lady PinkertOns deS rip
tiOu- My sketch was not by any means so accJI-
rate as cOuld have wished. as her ladyshfp's de-
have no idea OF drawing i then arranged with
Jne local police that they should keep Alice
Wright under an Informal surveillance ana re-
t4rusd 70 London